as in intrinsic
being a part of the innermost nature of a person or thing
the proposition that liberty and justice are constitutive elements of an enlightened society
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Recent Examples of constitutive
There are the constitutive ingredients: her tightknit and loving parents — Marlean, an elementary school teacher, and Paul, a pastor— and their faith and the protective love of Wes.
—
Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 11 June 2025
Recording with the front-facing camera is a little like looking in a mirror, watching yourself as others see you, which, in the tradition of psychoanalysis, can be called constitutive of human experience.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 7 June 2025
Obviously, this dialectic has been constitutive of Gabriel Orozco’s work from the very beginning and determines it to this very day.
—Benjamin H. D. Buchloh, Artforum, 1 June 2025
Latin Americans have seen themselves as constitutive of America for as long as Americans in the United States have cast Latin Americans as outsiders.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2025
Art critic Eva Diaz, writing for ArtReview, says that
Of the ‘creative’ pursuits, architecture is among the most dependent on big piles of capital in order to get its work off the ground: patronage is a constitutive yoke of the profession.
—Matt Shaw, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
Homoeroticism is of course constitutive of a great deal of classical statuary.
—Richard Meyer, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2025
After his beginnings at Modern Collections, Philbrick delved into corrupt financial machinations, enabled and empowered by the secrecy and instability that are constitutive features of the contemporary-art market.
—Rosa Lyster, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2024
That could require a new constitutive assembly, with a mission, charter, and political program that speaks to all Palestinians and eschews the stale language of the old PLO, a discourse imbued with the spirit of the mid-twentieth century but with no currency in the twenty-first.
—Hussein Agha, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2021
Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 11 June 2025
Recording with the front-facing camera is a little like looking in a mirror, watching yourself as others see you, which, in the tradition of psychoanalysis, can be called constitutive of human experience.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 7 June 2025
Obviously, this dialectic has been constitutive of Gabriel Orozco’s work from the very beginning and determines it to this very day.
—Benjamin H. D. Buchloh, Artforum, 1 June 2025
Latin Americans have seen themselves as constitutive of America for as long as Americans in the United States have cast Latin Americans as outsiders.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2025
Art critic Eva Diaz, writing for ArtReview, says that
Of the ‘creative’ pursuits, architecture is among the most dependent on big piles of capital in order to get its work off the ground: patronage is a constitutive yoke of the profession.
—Matt Shaw, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
Homoeroticism is of course constitutive of a great deal of classical statuary.
—Richard Meyer, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2025
After his beginnings at Modern Collections, Philbrick delved into corrupt financial machinations, enabled and empowered by the secrecy and instability that are constitutive features of the contemporary-art market.
—Rosa Lyster, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2024
That could require a new constitutive assembly, with a mission, charter, and political program that speaks to all Palestinians and eschews the stale language of the old PLO, a discourse imbued with the spirit of the mid-twentieth century but with no currency in the twenty-first.
—Hussein Agha, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constitutive
Adjective
-
When work aligns with personal values, intrinsic motivation flourishes.—
AllBusiness,
Forbes.com,
18 July 2025
-
Behind that, the bourbon’s intrinsic grain, vanilla, chocolate, and caramel notes buttress the palate, making this a unique sipper that would work really well in an Old Fashioned for coffee lovers.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
17 July 2025
Adjective
-
The sport of off-roading suffers from a fundamental discordance: The desire to get out into nature and the irreparable harm inherent in the process of off-roading.—
Tim Stevens,
ArsTechnica,
25 July 2025
-
Unfortunately, this scenario represents a national obsession that has no inherent benefits but also portends deep regret for millions.—
Scott Liftman,
Boston Herald,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
These resources have been an integral part of plans to build permanent moon bases, which have been brewing for years.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
17 July 2025
-
Regardless of whether the house is new or a resale, inspections are an integral part of the home-buying process.—
Halee Miller Van Ryswyk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 July 2025
Adjective
-
The truth is, digestion is an essential part of the wellness and health conversation.—
Ariana Yaptangco,
Glamour,
15 July 2025
-
Justin brings an inherent understanding of my company that is essential for its growth.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Constitutive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constitutive. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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